Since the beginning of the 1990s, Slovenia has been catching up with other developed market economies. The economic situation has improved; the unemployment rate has declined. Slovenia's criticism of the 1980s educational reform carried out in Yugoslavia (which included Slovenia until 1991) and continued discussion have led to design of a new education system and necessary reform measures. New legislation for vocational education and training (VET) reform requires new forms of VET, review of all existing VET programs, enhanced teacher training and equipment, and more emphasis on certification as a framework for continuing education. One priority of the Government within VET reform has been to encourage social partnership and transfer part of responsibilities for the system to the partners. Special adaptations of VET to labor market and socioeconomic changes are in the areas of development of national standards and analyses of training needs, curriculum development, assessment and certification, recognition and transparency of qualifications, and teacher and trainer training. Human resource development has been affected by reform in continuing training and management and administrators' training. Foreign assistance in the reform effort has come from the Phare program, Leonardo da Vinci program, European Social Fund, and Phare Cross-Border Cooperation program. (Contains 82 references.) (YLB)